Cold weather, fire place, loads of gifts, hot cocoa and delicious food, that’s called December! This is the season of aromas in candles and potpourris. For me the aroma begins in the kitchen in the most exotic forms. Usually it is in baking, a simple concoction of flour, sugar, butter and eggs in any ratio creates that wonderful heart warming feel. This time however, I plan to bring in something special, Saffron.
The inspiration of Saffron came from my last session with the Third Graders where I introduced them the edible and usable flowers in our lives(Flowers Powerpoint). Saffron is one of the edible flowers; at least part of it is which is rich in aroma, flavorful and exotic. So, I decided to make this the theme of my Christmas dinner this year. The dishes would be one pot wonders and liked by all. Some of them will be rich and the others light to balance out the flavors. But one thing would be common and that is the Saffron.
Saffron is derived from a plant named Crocus which is essentially its stigma. Each flower has three red stigmas and when they are dried is called Saffron. This spice is the most expensive of all spices. Rightly so, because a field as big as a football field can produce only a pound of strands!
Saffron is used in cooking as a seasoning and coloring agent bringing out a luminous yellow-orange hue to foods. It has a sweet taste and smell, much like hay. Confectionaries and liquors also often include Saffron. It is also used in dyes, perfumes, medicines, and body washes. A common Saffron substitute is turmeric but only for color. Turmeric although has its own benefits and usage, it surely does not taste or smell anything like the Saffron.
According to Wikipedia, most Saffron is grown in a belt of land ranging from the Mediterranean in the west to Kashmir in the east. Annually, around 300 tones of Saffron are produced worldwide. Iran, Spain, India, Greece, Azerbaijan, Morocco, and Italy, in decreasing order of production, are the major producers of Saffron. Iran with its cultivation of different varieties is the largest producer of Saffron with 93.7% of the world's total production. Resulting we see a wide use of Saffron in Mediterranean food.
Taking a cue from this fact, my dinner menu would be Spanish Paella, Italian roasted cheesy vegetable casserole and for dessert, Indian creamy honey sweet yogurt. Two of these recipes have been inspired by the chefs of Food Network. Except for few variations I follow every step of their recipes and they always are a success. Each of these dishes has Saffron as one of the main ingredients, giving them a unique aroma and flavor but not overpowering for the whole meal. My family loves it each time I make them. I hope yours does too. Check out the recipes of these dishes. (Click here for the recipes)
Of course, my Christmas Plum cake wouldn’t lose its importance on the table. After all, it’s Christmas! What turkey was for Thanksgiving, Plum Cake is for Christmas. If you have not ordered one for yourself yet, this is the last time you can place your orders. After this, you got to wait till next year.
Wish you and your family a Very Merry Christmas!!!
The inspiration of Saffron came from my last session with the Third Graders where I introduced them the edible and usable flowers in our lives(Flowers Powerpoint). Saffron is one of the edible flowers; at least part of it is which is rich in aroma, flavorful and exotic. So, I decided to make this the theme of my Christmas dinner this year. The dishes would be one pot wonders and liked by all. Some of them will be rich and the others light to balance out the flavors. But one thing would be common and that is the Saffron.
Saffron is derived from a plant named Crocus which is essentially its stigma. Each flower has three red stigmas and when they are dried is called Saffron. This spice is the most expensive of all spices. Rightly so, because a field as big as a football field can produce only a pound of strands!
Saffron is used in cooking as a seasoning and coloring agent bringing out a luminous yellow-orange hue to foods. It has a sweet taste and smell, much like hay. Confectionaries and liquors also often include Saffron. It is also used in dyes, perfumes, medicines, and body washes. A common Saffron substitute is turmeric but only for color. Turmeric although has its own benefits and usage, it surely does not taste or smell anything like the Saffron.
According to Wikipedia, most Saffron is grown in a belt of land ranging from the Mediterranean in the west to Kashmir in the east. Annually, around 300 tones of Saffron are produced worldwide. Iran, Spain, India, Greece, Azerbaijan, Morocco, and Italy, in decreasing order of production, are the major producers of Saffron. Iran with its cultivation of different varieties is the largest producer of Saffron with 93.7% of the world's total production. Resulting we see a wide use of Saffron in Mediterranean food.
Taking a cue from this fact, my dinner menu would be Spanish Paella, Italian roasted cheesy vegetable casserole and for dessert, Indian creamy honey sweet yogurt. Two of these recipes have been inspired by the chefs of Food Network. Except for few variations I follow every step of their recipes and they always are a success. Each of these dishes has Saffron as one of the main ingredients, giving them a unique aroma and flavor but not overpowering for the whole meal. My family loves it each time I make them. I hope yours does too. Check out the recipes of these dishes. (Click here for the recipes)
Of course, my Christmas Plum cake wouldn’t lose its importance on the table. After all, it’s Christmas! What turkey was for Thanksgiving, Plum Cake is for Christmas. If you have not ordered one for yourself yet, this is the last time you can place your orders. After this, you got to wait till next year.
Wish you and your family a Very Merry Christmas!!!
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